Burning Mississippi
by opalheart12
Summary: It is 1957. Jasper Hale and his family live in segregated racist Meridian, Mississippi. But when Jasper meets African-American Rosalyn McDonald and falls in love with her, will the South's prejudiced views get in the way?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi, everyone. Xtraevilsmartysanta41k here. I don't own Twilight yada yada yada… I would like everyone to know that I am African-American and I got this idea from watching a documentary on the history channel, **_**Save Our History**_**. It was about Civil Rights and the trials and tribulations that African-Americans faced during that time. I got the inspiration for this story from this. Please do not be offended. I hope that you enjoy and learn from this story. BTW I enjoy getting reviews and they make me wanna write more. Just saying. On with the story….**

Jasper let out a sigh as he and his brothers walked past a diner in downtown Meridian. There was a "whites only" sign on it. Every African-American person he saw had worn out faces, as if they were tired of living at all.

"I don't like this at all, Edward. They're people, too," Jasper said. "They're no different from us."

Edward stayed quiet, what he always did when Jasper voiced his opinions on the inequalities of society.

"Jasper, really? These negros are _entirely_ different from us. They are lower forms of humanity. Personally, I don't even know _why_ they exist." Emmett said as he lit a cigarette, his hat shading his eyes.

"How can you say that, Emmett? They are people! They deserve to have rights just as much as the next white man! They have eyes, they have noses, they have mouths, they have feet. They walk. They talk. Hell, they sing. And the _only_ thing different about them is their skin color. Humanity decides to hate what it doesn't understand. They were stolen from their homelands and brought to an unknown place," Jasper said.

"They were forced to work in our fields against their will, and the South fought to _keep_ them that way. White people observed them in their homelands, saw a culture that was completely unfamiliar with them, and deemed them savages. How do you explain that? Can you honestly tell me you feel nothing when you see how bad they are being treated?" Jasper said angrily.

Emmett let out a laugh. "Jesus Christ, Jasper, don't tell me you feel anything for them."

"Why should I not?"

"It's unnatural, Jasper. I've tried to explain that to you for the longest time and yet you refuse to believe me. I promise, it'll be a cold day in hell before I ever vote for niggers to have the same rights as us." Emmett said as they came up to the high school.

"You're wrong about them, Emmett. The _entire South_ is wrong about them." Jasper said as he walked past Edward and Emmett, through the gates of Gentry High.

Jasper went through the school day as usual. He laughed with his friends and did his work in class. He leaned against the back wall of the school observing everyone, wondering how it could be that humans could be so cruel to one another.

When he got home, his mother Esme was cooking in the kitchen.

"Afternoon, darlin'. How was school?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"It was the same as usual, mother." He replied drolly as he kissed her on her cheek.

Esme was from Georgia and had met his father, Carlisle, when he'd come to visit in Atlanta in 1932 and they were married in May of 1936. They'd had their first child, Edward, in October of 1939 after trying several times to conceive a child.

Up until then, they'd been living in Kennesaw, Georgia, but when Esme got pregnant again in January of 1940, they moved to Meridian. Next was Emmett who was born in September. Then the next year, Esme got pregnant with twins, Jasper and Rosalie. Her last child and the youngest, Alice, was born in 1942.

Edward was 18, a senior at Gentry High and never talked. He had always been a quiet child, only talking when he absolutely had to. He'd been accepted at Princeton and would be leaving at the end of the year.

Emmett was17, a junior, quarterback of the football team, and golden boy of their area of town, a subdivision by the name of St. Jude. He was loud and didn't care what anyone thought of him.

Jasper was 16, a sophomore along with his sister, Rosalie at Gentry. Jasper talked when he wanted to and was usually known for writing a lot of poetry. He was the head of the school newspaper and was moderately popular at school.

Rosalie was also 16 and was on the cheerleading squad at Gentry and was extremely popular. She was at the top of her class and had a new boyfriend almost every other week.

Alice, the baby of the family, had just made 15 and was a freshman at Gentry and almost always got her way at home. She loved to shop and she was extremely short and skinny.

"Jasper, are you listening to me?" Esme asked with a vague smile on her face.

He hadn't heard a word she'd been saying.

"Sorry, mama." He said as he moved from next to the sink.

"What are you thinking about that's got you dazed and dizzy?"

Jasper shook his head.

"Nothing. You mind if I walk to the park?" he asked.

Esme shook her head. "Go head on. But be back before dinner, mind. Your father won't be too happy if you're missing dinner."

Jasper nodded and left the house. It was 4:00 already which gave him a solid two hours to get himself together.

He was looking around him as he walked back home, encased in his own thoughts, and therefore hadn't noticed when he'd run into someone. Jasper was not a hostile person and would not have pitched much a fit if he'd hit someone on accident. But before he could apologize, someone else began apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, sir. I'm sorry. It was an accident, honest."

A quick and fervent voice said. Jasper looked down and saw a girl quickly picking up her books and he bent down to help her.

"Forgive me. I wasn't watching where I was going. You don't have to apologize." He said. The girl looked up at him and he got a good look at her.

She was African- American and had the skin of light caramel. Her eyes were big and brown and she had long dark brown hair that came past her shoulders. She was only slightly shorter than him and her face held innocence, something he hardly ever saw in anyone.

She was beautiful.

When she saw him, she immediately looked back down and resumed picking up her books. Within seconds she was off the ground and looking down at it.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Rosalyn McDonald, sir." She said in a voice that was not quiet but was not loud either.

"Hello, Rosalyn. I'm Jasper Hale. I go to Gentry High. What school do you go to?" he asked.

"Merryman High, sir." She replied.

"Do you live around here?" Jasper asked.

"Why, yes, sir, I do. 3114 Bell Street." Rosalyn replied with confidence. Jasper realized that Rosalyn stayed in the house next to his.

"Hey!" a loud voice said.

Jasper looked over and saw Mr. Mackley, an old man sitting on his porch. His eyes were narrowed at Rosalyn.

"What are you doing talking to him?" Mackley yelled.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'd only run into him on accident, sir, I honestly didn't mean to." Rosalyn said, looking afraid now.

It was a wide known fact that old Mr. Mackley was an upstanding member of the KKK.

"You best get on home, nigger, or you'll be sorry."

Rosalyn was trembling with fear at this point.

"Yes, sir." She mumbled before she hurried off down the street.

Jasper stared after her before turning to Mr. Mackley who had a satisfied look on his face. Jasper could think of nothing to say and walked back home.

"Then, he had the absolute _nerve_ to ask me out!" Rosalie said.

The entire table erupted in laughter.

"And did you say yes?" Esme asked.

Rosalie smiled, her mouth closed as she looked around the table. "I did." She said, smiling.

Everyone laughed again as they took more roast or potatoes. "So, Jasper, tell us about your day." Carlisle said.

Jasper cut his roast and took a sip of water before speaking. "Nothing much happened. Everything was the same as usual. But I was walking to the park and I ran into this girl. She was African-American—"

"A nigger." Emmett cut in.

"Emmett, you know we don't use words like that in this house." Esme said quietly. Emmett rolled his eyes and shoved some potatoes into his mouth.

"Anyhow, she started apologizing to me before I could even look to see what had happened. I helped her get her books off the ground. Mother, she was beautiful. She had long hair and skin the color of caramel." Jasper's voice began getting dreamy as he thought about her.

"What's her name?" Alice said happily.

"Rosalyn. She lives right next to us, goes to Merryman." Jasper replied, his voice still in a dreamlike state.

"Of course she does. It's the only school in Meridian that'll let _her kind_ in." Emmett said.

Jasper rounded on him. "And exactly what _kind_ is that?"

Emmett put his fork down and smiled at Jasper. He didn't smile back. "Jesus, Jasper, can you not see the world around you? No one here down South thinks the way you do. No one ever has. You get yourself a negro and you gonna find yourself tied up to a tree."

"Jasper, I am a doctor at one of the finest hospitals in Mississippi. I have a reputation to uphold. I can't have the public I sympathize for colored people. It would look bad on our family." Carlisle said.

"You mean it would look bad on you. I can't believe you could say such a thing, Dad. I thought you of all people…you're a doctor!" Jasper said rising from his seat.

"Yes, I am, but I do not treat colored people!" Carlisle's voice rose as his body did too.

Jasper shook his head. "Can I be excused, mother?" he said, looking at Esme, trying his hardest to keep in his temper.

Esme nodded. "Of course. Goodnight, sweetheart."

Jasper thanked her and glared at a smirking Emmett and a glowering Carlisle. He slammed the door hard and saw the glass on the window shake. He growled in frustration and picked up the picture he had of him, Emmett, and his father.

Emmett had been 9 at the time and Jasper was 8. Carlisle was standing with them in front of Yankee stadium. He'd taken them to New York that year for the summer. Jasper glared at it before throwing it at the wall.

He buried his head in his hands as he sat on his bed. He took deep breaths to calm himself down. When he felt cool and collected, he looked up at his window and saw Rosalyn looking back at him. Her big brown eyes were asking him what was wrong. They stood staring at each other for what felt like hours and it was as if an understanding passed between them.

Suddenly, a man came into Rosalyn's room, her father, Jasper guessed. He looked out the window, saw Jasper, and his eyes bugged big and angry, before he closed the curtains with a snap. But Jasper could still see the shadows and from what he saw, it looked like her father was whipping her.

Jasper closed his curtains before collapsing on his bed and sighing. Why couldn't life be easy? Why was it that no one else could see the world as it ought to be the way he did?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Mr. Hale, could you please wake up? I have to clean your room and I don't want to disturb you." A heavenly melodic voice said.

Jasper, still with his eyes closed, imagined it was an angel. And when he opened his eyes, he was right. It was Rosalyn McDonald. He said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Why are you in my house?" He hadn't meant to be rude but in the morning, he tended to say the first things that came to his head before he got ready for the day.

"Your mother hired me, Mr. Hale. She, your father, and your sister, Rosalie went out of town to Higgins for the weekend. They'll be back Monday night, sir."

While Rosalyn explained, Jasper, who was shirtless, walked to his bathroom which he didn't share oddly enough. "Thank you, Rosalyn." He said sleepily before closing the door behind him. He had a closet in his bathroom which was where he got dressed every morning. He was not the type of person to laze around his house all day. He had to be doing something.

As he stepped inside his shower, he thought straight for the first time that morning. Rosalyn McDonald was in his house. The angel he'd bumped into the day before was in his house. He closed his eyes as he stood directly underneath the shower. She just didn't know what she did to him.

Rosalyn sang a song to herself as she cleaned Jasper's room.

"I got a woman way over town. She's good to me. Oh, yeah." She sang as she made the bed.

Rosalyn continued through the song over and over, never ending it. Jasper was already a neat person so there wasn't much for her to do. She vacuumed the floor, dancing lightly as she did so. She pictured she was in front of an audience on Broadway, singing her heart out, the way she'd always dreamed.

"Yes, she's a kind of friend indeed. I got a woman way over town that's good to me."

Her hair was tied back in a low ponytail with a few strands hanging on either side of her face. She was wearing an old day dress that was fit for this sort of activity. She turned the vacuum off just as she heard a voice.

"That was beautiful." Jasper said, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. He was fully dressed this time in a white t-shirt and blue jeans. His blond hair was still wet and stuck to his forehead.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hale. I didn't mean to disturb you." She said, her big brown eyes staring at him, regret in her eyes.

Her small yet plump lips were parted slightly.

"You didn't, trust me." He replied, smiling slightly.

She looked away. "If you don't mind, sir, I should get to cleaning your bathroom now."

Jasper despised the fact that Rosalyn was even afraid to look at him. "You should hardly be calling me 'sir', Rosalyn. I'm barely your age."

Rosalyn didn't reply but instead left the room to go clean the rest of the house. Jasper went out to play baseball with the neighborhood boys and when he got back, Alice was talking to Rosalyn who was doing dishes.

"It's perfectly fine, Ms. Alice. I can do them. If you don't mind my saying, it's the reason your mother hired me." Rosalyn said.

Jasper closed the sliding door, since he'd come in through the back door. "What seems to be the problem, Alice?" he asked.

Alice spun around and gave Jasper the puppy eyes. "Rosalyn won't let me do the dishes even though I've told her I'm perfectly capable of doing them myself."

Jasper opened his mouth to say something but Rosalyn cut him off. "Mr. Hale, your mother hired me for a reason."

"It's because Dad made her and she doesn't have a mind of her own." Alice muttered. Jasper gave her a stunned look. She shrugged and left the room.

"At least let me help you." Jasper said, picking up a dishrag and drying the dishes.

"You mind telling me why my mother hired you?" he asked.

"I need the money. It's just me and my father." She replied.

He could sense that there was more she wanted to say but couldn't. "What about your mother?"

"She left right after she had me. I don't know anything about her 'cept she live in Chattanooga now. She never writes or anything. From what I hear she got herself a whole other family."

Jasper didn't say anything as he put the dishes away. Rosalyn glanced up at the clock and quickly dried her hands,

"I have to get home now. My daddy'll be back from work soon and I gotta have dinner ready." Rosalyn said before quickly leaving.

That night when Jasper went to sleep, all he could think about was Rosalyn. Why had his mother hired her to clean their house if she knew good and well that he and Alice could take care of it? The answer came to him before he'd fully thought out his question. Carlisle. _That controlling, narrow-minded, son of a bitch_, Jasper thought to himself bitterly. He was almost surprised at his feelings toward his father but he was also surprised that he did not regret them.

"There's no reason for her to be here!" Jasper heard Emmett yell as he opened his eyes the next night. He got out of his bed and pulled on a shirt as he walked out to the living room. "What's the problem?" he asked. Emmett rounded on him, a slightly worried Alice behind him and a cowering Rosalyn in the corner of the kitchen.

"This was your idea, wasn't it? Bringing this _tar baby_ here?" Emmett yelled.

Jasper cringed at the derogatory term and closed his eyes, trying to control his anger, which he seemed to be doing a lot lately. He was known to be the calm one, the sane one, the one who'd never questioned his parents, but yet that had all changed the day he laid eyes on Rosalyn.

"Mother would be ashamed of you if she heard those words coming out of your mouth," Jasper said. "And mother was the one who let her clean up in here so if you have any more problems, you may want to look into taking that up with her. Now, leave her alone. She was just minding her business, not doing a thing to you. Why is it that you hate her so much?" he hissed.

"Can you not see her?! She is a hideous _negro_! What reason is there for her to be in our house?"

"What reason is there for her _not_ to be in our house, Emmett?" Jasper countered.

Before he could even move, Emmett's fist connected with Jasper's jaw and he fell to the ground. His face felt like it was pulsating in pain.

"Emmett!" Alice yelled worriedly, her voice high pitched with worry. "Stop!"

Jasper heard the front door open and close as he slowly got up. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Jasper growled lowly. Even Emmett took a step back. He'd never once heard Jasper sound the way that he did now.

Emmett recovered quickly though. "If you even think—" Emmett's words were cut short by Jasper wrapping his hands around Emmett's neck and pushing him hard against the wall.

"If you ever disrespect her again, I will kill you."

"What is going on in here?" Rosalie's voice startled Jasper. He looked to the doorway of the kitchen and saw Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle standing there, all looking equally astonished.

"Ask him." Jasper said viciously before storming out of the house. He had no idea where he was going until he ended up at the park in the middle of the subdivision. He sighed.

"Shit." He muttered, thinking of what he'd just done. But it hadn't been his fault, had it? It was all Emmett's fault. Would it kill him to respect Rosalyn as a person?

"Mr. Hale?" a soft voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up and saw Rosalyn standing in front of him. She looked so innocent. He stood up from the swing and looked at her.

"Call me Jasper." He said quietly. She nodded and brushed some hair from her face.

"You didn't have to defend me back there. I'm used to people worse than…Mr. Emmett."

"You shouldn't be. No one should be."

"But I am. That's just the way it's always gon' be here."

"So, why don't you just move?" Jasper asked.

"I can't leave my daddy alone." She whispered almost as if she were trying to convince herself of this.

Jasper walked closer to her, both staring at each other. Rosalyn swallowed hard and closed her eye as she felt Jasper's arms twine around her and pull her close to him. The electricity between them was pulsing and the attraction was undeniable.

"I'm sorry…for him" Jasper said to Rosalyn as he ran his fingers slowly through her hair.

"It's alright. You don't have to apologize to me, Jasper."

He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "I do." He said quietly and sadly. She shook her said and was about to protest when he stopped her with his lips. She was surprised and didn't respond for about a nanosecond.

But when she did, Jasper could practically feel and hear the fireworks going off in his heart. He wasn't sure how long they were kissing before they pulled away from each other. "We aren't supposed to be doing this." Rosalyn said, breathless. "I don't care." Jasper said before he resumed kissing her again.

If only they had known that someone had been watching.


	3. Chapter 3

"Jasper." A voice said.

Jasper and Rosalyn broke away from each other, looking around fearfully. Jasper could just barely make out a silhouette standing near the large oak tree that stood in the middle of the park.

"It's me." The voice said again and the figure stepped out into the light that shown over the playground.

It was Edward.

Having never heard him speak save for once, Jasper was astonished. He hadn't recognized Edward's voice. Jasper looked from Edward to Rosalyn.

"Rose, I think you should go home now." He said quietly.

"No. I want her to hear this, too." Edward said, coming closer.

Jasper looked at him cautiously, linking his hand with Rosalyn's.

"Jasper, I want you to know that if you want to be with Rosalyn, go ahead. In fact, I encourage it. I don't have any right to tell you who you can or cannot be with." Edward said slowly.

Jasper didn't know what to feel.

"But at this moment, Rosalyn, you _should_ go home. I don't want any of the neighbors to see you here with me and Jasper. The last thing I would want is your life in danger." Edward said softly.

Rosalyn looked at Jasper, saying words that couldn't be spoken, and Jasper bent down and kissed her softly on her forehead.

"Go on home, Rosie." He said quietly.

She nodded and was gone.

Jasper turned back to Edward. "Why are you doing this?" he asked quietly.

Edward stepped closer to Jasper.

"Because I don't want you making the same mistake I did." He said.

Jasper gave him a confused look. Edward sighed and walked over to a park bench. Jasper followed him and sat down next to him.

"My mistake…what I did…is the reason I never talk. It is because I fear my words will hurt others…like I hurt _her_."

"What do you mean? What did you do?" Jasper asked.

Edward sighed. "I can only hope you don't think less of me after hearing this," he said. Jasper didn't say a word to him.

"When I was 7 years old, there was a girl who lived near us, Angela Weber. I don't think you remember her. Either way, she was my best friend. And when I looked at her, I didn't see skin color. I just saw her for who she was. We'd been friends for years. And when I was 14 years old, I kissed her. It was short and chaste, you know, the sort of kiss one would share when first discovering the opposite sex. We'd even said we loved each other."

"But Carlisle found out about us. He strictly forbade me from ever seeing her again, ever talking to her, ever even thinking about her. Now, at that age you understand that I obviously could _not_ disobey those orders," Edward explained. Jasper nodded and told him to go on.

"I ignored her for weeks…months. One day, I was here, at this very park, playing baseball with my friends. She'd come to watch me even though she wasn't supposed to. I asked what she was doing here and she answered, 'To play like everybody else. What gives you the right to ask?'"

"And I walked up to her and pushed her. She fell against the bleachers and didn't get up for a while. I walked cautiously to her and saw that she was bleeding very slightly from her head. She got up, spit in my face, and left. I never saw her again after that."

"Why?" asked Jasper.

"She drowned; swimming in Waveland a few days later. I never did get to apologize to her for what I did…what I said and that haunts me. It will continue to haunt me for as long as I live."

Jasper was quiet. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe that his quiet, withdrawn brother could've done such a thing. However, he didn't think badly of him. He had had enough strength to tell him what he'd done; and Jasper was almost certain he'd never told anyone else. Not even Bella. Edward spoke again.

"Do you understand why I'm telling you this, Jasper? I don't want you to let these people deter you from the one you love. Even Emmett. One day, there will come a time when none of this will matter but until then, you have to promise me something." He said.

Jasper stared at him, his eyes telling him to go on.

"Promise me that you will love her with everything in you. Promise me that no matter what happens, you will always stay by her side. Promise me that you won't listen to what other people say and that you will follow your heart. Do you understand me?" Edward said, his voice hard with fire and determination.

Jasper nodded. "I promise."

"Oh, baby, aren't you in hurry? To get away from here. I know a little something about what you really fear. Oh, baby, you're running through my mind. I can't let you go, no, not this time. You're the only one I want, baby. Don't matter now what happens cause…I'm fallin' for you." Rosalyn sang as she washed the dishes in Jasper's house the next morning.

She dried them before putting the away. The entire house was pristine. There was breakfast on the table, freshly cooked, and Rosalyn went to wake everyone up.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hale, breakfast is ready." She said, knocking softly on Carlisle and Esme's door.

Roslayn moved on to the room Alice and Rosalie shared. "Breakfast is ready, if you're hungry." She said, knocking twice, her delicate hands ghosting across the doors surface when she knocked. She had just woke Jasper up for breakfast when she stood outside of Emmett's room.

"If I were you, I would just wait until he wakes up. You've seen him when he's actually walking around. He's horrible in the morning." A voice said in the hallway.

Rosalyn turned around slowly to see Rosalie Hale standing there, her long blonde hair draped over one shoulder, a silk night robe clinging to her.

"Good morning, Ms. Hale." She said, looking down.

Rosalie gave her an odd look before instructing her to look up at her.

"Good morning." Rosalie said before she walked past Rosalyn and out to the kitchen.

"This is absolutely amazing, Rosalyn. I've never tasted anything like this." Alice said, biting into one of the golden brown biscuits Rosalyn had set out on the table.

"I agree. This…you have to make more of these." Jasper said.

When no one was looking, he winked at her and Rosalyn smiled before busying herself with washing the dirty dishes. All had complemented her on breakfast, and asked if she would make lunch and dinner. Rosalyn told them she would and asked what they wanted.

"Surprise us." Esme said.

Rosalyn had made dinner and left for home shortly after to leave the Hales in peace.

The entire table was quiet as none of them wanted to acknowledge the elephant in the room. They kept their eyes on their own food and ate silently.

"I can't take this anymore. What the hell is going on with everyone?" Rosalie asked.

Esme looked up at her, shocked. Carlisle didn't say anything and neither did Emmett or Jasper.

"Emmett threw a fit about Rosalyn working in our house and blamed Jasper for it. He called her a tar baby and Jasper didn't do anything until Emmett punched him. He got up off the ground and pinned him to the wall. That's where you came in." Alice said quietly. Emmett didn't even look up.

Esme turned to Emmett. "Is this true?"

Emmett nodded slowly. "Yes."

Esme looked appalled but there really was nothing she could do about it but yell at him.

"Emmett! How can you be so disrespectful? I don't care what you think of her, you will not disrespect her to her face nor while she is around ever again, do you understand me?"

Emmett smirked. "Whatever." He mumbled.

Carlisle looked up this time, but not at Emmett. He looked long and hard at Esme before he spoke.

"He can do what he wants to her unless I say otherwise, do you understand me? He is almost a grown man. He can make his own decisions. If he wants to show her for what she really is then let him." Carlisle said coldly.

Esme had tears brimming in her eyes but she quickly forced them back, nodding at Carlisle.

"You're right." She mumbled.

Jasper's jaw tightened in anger and anyone with good sense could tell it was taking everything in him not to jump across the table and hit Carlisle across the face with the glass cup he was drinking scotch from. The vessel in his head was sticking out dangerously and his face was turning a light purple.

It took everything in him not to slap Esme and explain what he _really _thought of her. But he didn't say a word. He was holding his own glass of water so tightly that it cracked and shattered in his hands.

Everyone took that opportunity to look at him. He looked down at his hand where there were many pieces of glass inside. He shoved back from the table so hard; his chair fell to the ground.

"I'm going to take care of this." He grumbled, as if someone would hear him.

Truthfully, he was pissed that Esme never stood up for herself against Carlisle. What did it take? She had to be tired of the way he was always condescending her. He didn't wince once as he took the glass out of his hand shard by cursed shard.

He had water running in the sink while he did this and had his hand underneath it to rinse away the blood. As he did this, he thought of Rosalyn and felt himself calming down.

Everyone but Carlisle and Emmett was freaked out. They'd never seen Jasper act the way he had. He'd busted a glass! Esme didn't want to say anything else.

Alice was afraid of what Jasper might do next. Rosalie was merely surprised and Edward….well, Edward didn't know what to say.

"Well, I fixed up Mr. Currier's heart today. He won't be having any more heart problems." Carlisle said smiling.

_**We don't care!**_ Rosalie, Alice, Edward, and Esme wanted to yell. But Esme, being the dutiful wife she was decided to go with it.

"That's wonderful, dear. Anything else happen at work?"

Jasper was about to go to bed when he heard something hit his window. He looked up and saw Rosalyn's window open. She'd thrown a rock at his. She was leaning out of the window and the lights were off in her room so as not to wake her father.

He pushed his window up quietly and slid out, his feet landing on the ground softly. He crept across the space between his house and hers before he came to her.

"What are you doing?" he asked softly.

Rosalyn smiled. "Well, I had to see you, didn't I?" she said.

Jasper smiled and chuckled softly before kissing her softly.

"Goodnight, Rosie." He said. Even though it was dark, he could see her blushing softly as the moonlight shone across her face.

"Goodnight, Jasper."

Jasper couldn't concentrate on anything. All he could think about was Rosalyn. But his happy thoughts were quickly muddled when he thought of how they couldn't be together. His birthday was in a week. Maybe he could take a trip with her.

When he got home, he walked to his room and lay across his bed, thinking only of Rosalyn. He thought of her soft skin that felt like silk beneath his fingertips. He thought of her huge brown eyes that made him melt through the ground. He thought of her long dark hair that he was dying to run his fingers through. He thought of what her body might feel like against his. This was his happy place. In his mind, there was no skin color. There was no racism. There was only her. That's all he wanted now. That's all he wanted ever.

Sometime while he was in the deep recesses of his own thoughts, he heard a knock on his door. "Come in." he said. Surprisingly, Carlisle was standing there. He sat up in his bed quickly, worried about what he might say. Would Carlisle tell him the same thing he'd told Edward years ago? He tried his best not to look nervous.

"I understand your birthday is in a week." He said. Jasper nodded. Carlisle didn't celebrate birthdays for his children. That was always Esme's job. So he celebrated beforehand.

Carlisle stuck his hands in his pocket and pulled out some keys. He threw them and Jasper caught them. "What is this?" he asked.

Carlisle smiled. "It's for your car in the driveway." He said.

Jasper jumped from his bed and raced to the other window in his house that faced the driveway. There he saw a convertible navy blue 1958 Chevy Impala. It took his breath away. He could just imagine him and Rosalyn inside, riding through the country up to the north, the wind through their hair.

"That's….that's mine?" he asked breathlessly, still staring at the car.

Carlisle nodded. "All yours, if you stop seeing Rosalyn."

Jasper's head whipped around so quickly he was sure that he must've gotten whiplash. "Excuse me?" he asked quietly.

Carlisle laughed. "Relax, relax. It was a joke. I know you would _never_ involve yourself in something as silly as a relationship with a negro. Don't I?" Carlisle said. And even though his tone was joking, there was no mistaking the undertone of malice and uncertainty underneath. Yet, Jasper found himself nodding slowly.

"Yes." He said quietly.

Carlisle's face stretched into a smile. "Good. Well, enjoy your birthday gift." He said before he was gone, to the hospital, Jasper guessed. He waited until he was certain that Carlisle was gone before he moved at all.

He knew.

Jasper might've been young but he wasn't stupid. He knew Carlisle wasn't joking. He could've pulled that one on anyone but him. Hell, maybe he'd told Edward the same thing. For Carlisle, Jasper knew, it was all about reputation and nothing else. Jasper was rather certain that if Carlisle wasn't a doctor, he wouldn't be such an asshole. Jasper made certain that he would be even more careful in making contact with Rosalyn. So, he took a piece of paper and wrote a note to Rosalyn. She would have to clean his room, he knew, and decided to leave it under the pillow before he went to sleep.

Rosalyn was almost done cleaning the entire house and only had the bedrooms to clean. She made certain that she never cleaned Emmett's room unless he wasn't at home and even then, she cleaned his room fairly quickly because frankly it was impossible to know when he'd come home.

She moved to Jasper's room and started taking the blankets, sheets, and pillows from his bed. As she moved his pillows, she saw a folded sheet of paper underneath with her name on it. Peering around her, she slowly opened the note and read.

_**Dear Rosalyn,**_

_**My father knows. He has given me a car with the threat that I can only keep it if I stop seeing you which I absolutely refuse to do. He didn't say that in as many words but I got the point. However, my birthday is next Friday. I want you to ride with me up to Chicago. We'll be back Sunday night. If you want to come with me, leave the paper under the pillow. If it's not there, I'll be perfectly fine with your choice. **_

_**Love,**_

_**Jasper C. W. Hale**_

Rosalyn didn't know what to say. She sat down on her bed, thinking of what she should do. Her father would be home but he'd be too drunk to even notice she wasn't there. She sighed and bit her lip, thinking hard. She loved Jasper, God knew she did, but should she really do it? She took the note and tore it, throwing it in the trash before taking a scrap of paper and writing on it. When she'd finished making his bed, she put the paper underneath his pillow. Hopefully, he would understand.

Edward hadn't talked at all since that night in the park. It was almost as if it hadn't even happened. Jasper knew how hard it had been for Edward to tell him what he'd told him and didn't press the matter. However, Alice knew something was up. She cornered Jasper as he was going into his room that night.

"I want to know what's going on. Now." She demanded.

"What are you talking about, Alice? Nothing is going on right now." He replied, still trying to get into his room. She raised an eyebrow at him, obviously not believing him. He quickly gave in.

"Oh, fine. Come in here." He said. He didn't want anyone else to hear what he was going to tell her.

Alice sat on his bed and crossed her legs.

"Alright, so I'm planning on driving up to Chicago for my birthday with Rosalyn." He said quietly.

"Oh, my God!" Alice gasped, one hand over her mouth. "You can't! Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get in? What if someone sees you? Oh, Jasper, you can't!" Alice sputtered. Jasper waited until she was done before he answered.

"I know the risks, Alice, I know. But I don't care. I love her!" he hissed quietly.

Alice's eyes went wide and Jasper could see a hint of a smile playing at her lips. "Oh. Oh, Jasper, that's wonderful. But—"

"Yes, I know. No good can come of this but I don't care. When I'm with her, it feels like it's only us and no person else, almost as if the rest of the world doesn't even exist. I…Alice…I'm not sure if I can leave her alone. My brain is telling me to and my heart is saying 'To Hell with everyone else and their opinions'. Look what she's done to me! She's driving me insane just thinking of her!" Jasper said very quickly and quietly.

Alice smiled. "Well, Jasper Hale, you got it bad."


	4. Chapter 4

Rosalyn still hadn't decided whether or not she would go with Jasper up to Chicago. The true fact of the matter was that she was afraid. It was 1957 and racism was reaching it's peak. There was no way she wanted Jasper getting in trouble just for being with her. Honestly, she just needed him to read the note first and then she would decidewhat to do.

She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and sighed as she pulled on the red dress she wore to school every Thursday. She put on her shoes and walked outside to wait for the school bus. Suddenly, she heard a roaring noise and she looked up. There was a 58' Impala coming near her. The window was rolled down.

"Morning, beautiful." A voice said. Rosalyn peered down into the car and Jasper with his hands on the steering wheel.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It's my car, darlin'. All mine. Now, come on, get in. I'm bringin' you to school today." He said. Rosalyn peered around her and climbed into the car.

"You know how much trouble we'll be in? They could hurt you, Jasper. They could hurt us both." Rosalyn said, pulling her seatbelt across her.

"Trust me, honey, I love you way too much to let something happen to you. You know that." Jasper replied as Rosalyn rolled up the window.

He started the car again and they were both quiet as they drove to Gentry. It was a shabby little high school near the edge of Meridian. The paint was chipping and there were more than a few health hazards to be noted.

"Have a good day, honey." Jasper said, planting a long kiss onher lips. Rosalyn smiled and blushed as she returned it. She opened the car door and quickly got out before anyone could see her.

Jasper himself had to make quick work of getting to his own school. Dropping Rosalyn off had meant that he would be at least 2 minutes late to school which he hadn't desired in the first place but since it was Rosalyn, he didn't mind a bit.

Jasper lifted his pillow and saw the note lying there, though it was a different. He unfolded it carefully and read:

_Dear Jasper,_

_I don't think it's a good idea for us to frive to Chicago, however, because I know it is your birthday, I'll go with you. Meet me at the Frost Tracks on the edge of town, at the crossroads at ten pm Friday night._

_Rosalyn_

He couldn't hide the elation he felt running within him. He wanted to run around and do a happy dance. The rest of his week was spent preparing for his trip, which only Alice and Edward knew about. He knew that he would get int trouble with Carlisle when he came back but what did it matter to him?

As planned, Jasper met Rosalyn at the crossroads of the Frost Tracks at precisely midnight. Rosalyn stood there, shivering slightly, a suitcase in her delicate hands. Jasper got out of the car and took the suitcase from her hands, putting it in the backseat with his own.

"No trouble, I hope." Jasper said when they started driving.

"No. My daddy went to go visit my Uncle Otis for the weekend. You?"

"None." Jasper repleid.

They were quiet as they drove throughotu the night, and soon Rosalyn was asleep. At 9am the next mornign, they were only 5 hours from Chicago, Jasper stopped at a gas station and fileld the car up. He took seven minutes to get he and Rosalyn a icy Coca-Cola. They started driving again and soon they were in Chicago.

Rosalyn was awake now. She stretched and yawned quietly. Jasper looked up at her and smield. She looked absolutely adorable.

"Where are we staying?" she asked.

Jasper turned into a hotel and opened the door for her.

"We're staying here until later on tonight." He said.

Rosalyn nodded and the two checked in.

"Yes, we have a sighting, sir." He said into the phone.

"Where?"

"Chicago, Illinois, sir." The man replied.

"Bring them back immediately. I want _her_ alive."


	5. Chapter 5

_**a/n: Okay, so I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while…I've had this chapter typed up forever but I haven't gotten internet to be able to post it…btw I need some ideas so leave them in the reviews, my friends! I hope you all love this chapter or hate it…I think it's going to blow you away….on with the story ;)**_

"Rosalyn, hurry up! We're going to be late!" Jasper yelled as he tightened the tie around his neck. He dusted his suit off and ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"I'm comin'! Calm down!" she yelled back, though Jasper could hear the smile in her voice and it immediately spread to him.

Just then, Jasper heard a noise outside and walked to the window. He saw a man, pushing another man into a car. The man looked to be pleading with the other man. Jasper squinted and saw that the man who had pushed the other was Emmett.

The blood drained from Jasper's face. All breath left his body. He had parked his car in a parking garage down the street, and hopefully, Emmett would not go looking for it.

"I'm ready now. And just where are we—"

Rosalyn trailed off when she saw the look on Jasper's face.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, coming closer to him.

"He's…he's here. Emmett. He's here. We need to leave."

"But, we just got here." Rosalyn said sadly.

Jasper turned and walked to her slowly, his hands holding her face in his. "Rosalyn, I do not want you getting hurt. Can't you understand that? This was a bad idea. I should've just listened to Alice. Listen, we'll wait until he's gone and we'll start making our way out, alright? Until then, we just have to wait. I didn't check into this place with my real name, so we should be fine." Jasper said, as he talked more to himself.

Rosalyn guided him to the bed and sat him down on it. She turned the lights off in the room and closed the blinds, leaving the room slightly dark. She kicked off her shoes and lay next to Jasper, on her side, facing him. His face was one of sadness, anger, and sorrow.

"Everything'll be alright, Jasper. You'll see. We'll make it back to Meridian and none of this will matter. What does matter is that I love you. That should be enough there." She said.

Jasper reached out and ran his hand across her cheek slowly. "It is enough, Rosie, it is. But if something were to ever happen to you, I don't think I'd ever be able to live with myself. You've changed everything I ever thought about life. You've shaken up my world and now that I know you, now that I love you, it's hard to imagine a world without you." He said quietly.

Rosalyn's heart swelled at this and she quickly kissed Jasper before pulling away. She had a question that she really needed him to answer.

"Why…why do you love me? Why do you defend me? Why do you care so much about me when you're not supposed to?" she asked.

Jasper looked almost insulted. "Why wouldn't I? Rosalyn Denise McDonald, you are the funniest, smartest, most beautiful person I have ever met in my life. Don't ever doubt that for a moment. There is not a single soul in all of Meridian, Mississippi, or the whole damn would who could ever stop me feeling the way I do about you."

Rosalyn didn't know what to say. She felt tears bubbling in her eyes and she bit down hard to keep them from falling down. But they did anyway, and she felt a random thought pop into her head.

"We can run away, Jasper. We'll go up north to Canada or down to Mexico and nobody will find us. We can run away and have our own life together." Her voice was saturated with tears as she said this and Jasper knew that she meant it with every part of her.

"We will, Rosalyn, I promise. I'll get you…and me out of Meridian for good. But right now, we have to find a way to get back. Emmett is here and I have absolutely no doubt that he isn't looking for me." Jasper said softly. Rosalyn nodded and fell asleep in Jasper's arms.

What seemed like minutes later, he was waking her up.

"Rosalyn, sweetheart, wake up. We have to leave now. This is our only chance." He said.

Rosalyn groaned and turned in Jasper's arms to face him. "What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"11:14 at night. Come on. Go get your things. I'll go get the car." He said.

Rosalyn got up quickly and made sure all of her and Jasper's things were together as Jasper left the room. He was back 15 minutes later, though every minute to Rosalyn was like waiting an hour.

They put their suitcases in the back of the car along with a blanket, just in case Rosalyn got tired. They started driving and were out of Chicago in less than 10 minutes. When they entered the tail end of Kentucky, Jasper told Rosalyn that if they got stopped, she was to climb onto the floor in the backseat. Jasper would put the blanket over her along with the suitcases. He had hoped it would not come to that, but it did; right as they got past Memphis.

Jasper saw police lights in his rearview mirror. Rosalyn quickly climbed onto the floor of the backseat. Jasper threw the blanket over her, covering her entirely, before putting the suitcases on top of her. If he hadn't known, he wouldn't have thought anything was there at all.

He pulled over to the side of the road and told Rosalyn to be extremely quiet. "Don't even breathe." He whispered. He rolled down his window and took out the fake I.D. he'd had made before his trip, just in case something like this happened.

The police officer stepped out of his car and walked to Jasper's car, taking out his flashlight. Jasper put on his calmest face as the officer came closer.

"Good evening, officer. Is there a problem?" Jasper asked.

The police officer was an average height man, with weight round his middle. His eyes were beady and gray and his uniform had a coffee stain on it.

"Where you goin'?" he asked.

"Just coming back from visitin' my grandmother in Nashville, sir." Jasper said smoothly.

"At this time of night?" he asked.

"Of course, sir. Tomorrow'll be Sunday and I'd like to get home so I can get ready for school Monday." Jasper replied.

"Really. And you wouldn't happen to be driving with a nigger in your car now, would you?" he asked.

"Of course, not, sir." Jasper said. He could see that he had the police officer hanging onto his every word. His whole life, he'd been a very charismatic boy, able to get people to trust him.

"What's your name, boy?" he asked.

"Emmett Evenson, sir. Right outta Jackson, Mississippi." Jasper answered smoothly, his lingering smile on his face.

"Mm. You get on home now, ya hear? I don't wanna see you round these parts again." The police officer said.

Jasper nodded and smiled. "You have a nice night, officer." He said as he reached down beneath his seat for his pistol.

"Get on home, boy." The police officer said before he began walking back to his car.

Jasper pulled the gun from under the seat, held it out the window and shot the officer clean in the head. He fell to the ground and Jasper could see a small amount of blood coming from his head. The bullet had gone straight through, leaving a very clean bullet hole in the officer's head.

No one would ever know or even suspect Jasper Hale had done this. It was past one in the morning and they were on a rather desolate back road on the tail end of Tennessee. Cursing, Jasper drove off quickly down the road, leaving the police car and the officer behind.

"What did you do?" Rosalyn said from the backseat. Jasper instructed her to stay where she was in case they got stopped again.

"Jasper, what did you do?" she asked more forcefully.

"That man had been following us since we left Chicago. He was not a police officer, Rosie. I am almost certain Emmett sent him after us, which is why it is extremely pertinent that we get back to Meridian as soon as possible." Jasper answered.

Rosalyn said nothing else the rest of the car ride. When they had finally gotten to Meridian, it was only 7a.m. Jasper dropped Rosalyn off at the Frost Tracks (at her insistence) and drove home.

He was paranoid now.

What if that man hadn't been sent by Emmett, but by Carlisle? What would he say when he got home? He could very easily lie and say that he'd driven to New Orleans for the weekend. Yes. That was what he would say.

He pulled into the driveway and got out of his car, taking his suitcase with him. He went inside through the backdoor and hurried to his room where he immediately fell asleep.

Jasper woke up the next morning to hear something strange: Carlisle. It was nearly 11am on Sunday now and Carlisle was actually…home. Jasper got up and walked into the hallway. He could hear Carlisle talking on the phone to someone.

"Yes, it's me…What?...He was killed?...When?...Have you found out who did it?...That's alright, Jane. We'll find who killed your daddy. You go head on to church now and I'll call you later." Carlisle said before hanging up.

Yet again, he knew.

But he didn't know Jasper was the one who'd done it. Did he?

He walked into the kitchen and got him a glass of orange juice. Carlisle looked at him over the rim of his glasses.

"How was your trip?" he asked.

"Well, I drove down to New Orleans to get a change of scenery. It was nice. There were all kinds of people there and the French Quarter was nice, too. Good restaurants." Jasper replied.

"Really? Because I was under the impression that the I-18 took you north, round about Memphis, not to New Orleans. Where did you go, Jasper?" Carlisle asked, his voice icy.

Jasper was always a good liar and all he had to do was put on an emotionless face, make sure he didn't shake, and make sure his voice was even to fool Carlisle. After all, for a doctor, Carlisle was pretty damn stupid.

"I told you I went to New Orleans. I went on I-10. It'll take you to Jackson then down to New Orleans." Jasper said smoothly.

"And where was Rosalyn?" Carlisle asked. But Jasper could counter this, too.

"She went to visit her Uncle Otis with her father for the weekend. I don't think she'll be back until tonight." Jasper said. Rosalyn had actually gone by her cousin for the day, as she and Jasper had talked about this cover story before arriving back in Meridian.

"Hm. Well, go get dressed. We're going to church." Carlisle said before heading into his room. Biting his lip, Jasper sighed.

Little did he know, things were about to get a whole lot worse.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Yes, I know it's been a while but today I just decided to start writing. I hope you guys like this chapter and don't hesitate to send in ideas. I really need them. Anyway, I wont be updating for a while because I'll be moving soon so leave reviews and I'll try my best to update. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight.**_

Jasper was on edge, though on the outside, he seemed cool to Carlisle and Emmett. He had to keep it that way.

Only Alice and Edward knew about what happened in Chicago, but they didn't know that Jasper had shot and killed Aro Benedetti, an Italian man who'd been an old friend of Carlisle's, on the way home.

He hadn't physically spoken to or seen Rosalyn since the Chicago trip but he knew she still came to his house to clean.

So, he left a letter under his pillow, as he usually did, but this time it was slightly different.

_Dear Rosalyn,_

_I know we haven't spoken in a while, but I want you to know that things will be a lot harder for us. Carlisle and Emmett know about Chicago. But please know that I still love you with all my heart and we will get away soon._

_All My Love,_

_Jasper_

After he left the note, he immediately left the house to go play baseball in the park. He knew that if he wanted to keep a low profile, there was no way he could be seen anywhere near Rosalyn.

That night, when he came home, he lifted up his pillow and saw that his note was still there.

Confused, he picked it up and flipped it over but there was nothing on the other side. She had to have come in to clean the house today, right?

Why was the note still there?

He walked into the dining room for dinner, confused and slightly worried. Emmett was absent from dinner tonight, saying he had to help with a group project he was doing at school.

Jasper had thought this was weird since Emmett was always home for dinner every night.

"Didn't Rosalyn come today to clean the house? My bathroom's a mess." Jasper said casually as he loaded some spaghetti onto his plate.

"I was wondering that, too. I didn't see her at all today." Alice chimed in.

"Who cares? You can clean your own bathroom, can't you?" Carlisle shot at Jasper, an underlying smirk of twisted pleasure on his face.

Something wasn't adding up about the situation.

Why was Emmett gone from dinner for a "school project" when he'd never had to do that before? Why hadn't Rosalyn come in to clean the house today? And why was Carlisle being even more of a smug bastard than usual?

Jasper found it hard to believe it all was a coincidence.

That night, before he went to bed, he stared out his window at Rosalyn's house next to his. The lights were not on in her room tonight, as they usually were.

He stayed up for another hour and a half, waiting for the familiar sound of a pebble against his window but it never came.

Now, he was really worried.

He tried his best to let it all go and get to sleep.

But he was awake only two hours later with a bad feeling in his stomach. He got up and peered out his window and saw that Rosalyn's house was on fire, practically burnt to the ground.

Jasper jumped from the bed and ran out into the hall in time to see Edward doing the same thing.

He and Edward ran from the house and outside, seeing a burning cross on Rosalyn's lawn, matching her burning house.

Almost everyone in the neighborhood was gathered in front of Rosalyn's house, staring up at the flames.

He ran to Alice. "Where is she, Alice? Tell me she's not in there." he said frantically.

Alice looked at him with sad eyes. "She is. But its too late, Jasper. There's nothing you can do. That house is about to collapse."

But her words were lost on him as he bolted past her and into the house, coughing when he came inside. There was smoke and flames everywhere.

"Rosalyn!" he yelled out, getting no response in return.

He walked carefully through the house, covering his mouth and nose with his shirt to keep the smoke out. He saw a slumped over figure in the corner of the third room he was in.

"Rosalyn!" he yelled, rushing over to the body.

It had to be her. It just had to be. As he got closer, he saw the long flowing black hair and knew without a doubt it was her.

He picked her up and saw that she was unconscious. He swung her across his shoulder and continued on through the house, trying to see if her father was still inside, too.

He was in the last room of the house, but even as Jasper picked him up, he knew he was dead.

He struggled to carry the two through the house. Flames, smoke, and falling wood got in his way.

He bobbed and dodged around each falling piece of burning wood. His mission was to get Rosalyn and himself out alive.

Finally, he threw the front door open and rushed out onto the lawn, collapsing as he did so. Jasper leaned over Rosalyn and pushed her chest gently, trying to get her slow heartbeat moving before giving her CPR.

After the first time, she immediately began coughing and sputtering.

Alice ran to Jasper with a glass of water in her hand. He handed it to Rosalyn who gulped it down thirstily, before moving on to her father to see if he really was dead.

Jasper felt for a pulse but it was non existent. He placed an ear to the man's mouth but couldn't hear or see him breathing.

He turned back to see Alice patting Rosalyn's back as she coughed. Jasper crawled over to her.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" he asked quietly.

Rosalyn coughed a few more times. "Fine...I...my throat...can't breathe..." she said, her eyes darting back and forth.

"Smoke inhalation. She has to get to a hospital, Jazz." Alice said fearfully.

Jasper spun around and glared at Alice. "We live in goddamn Meridian, Mississippi. Name a damn hospital in this godforsaken town that'll treat a black girl." he hissed.

Alice looked slightly hurt but resolve crossed her face and she walked away, coming back with Carlisle.

"Look, I know you don't treat _Negroes_ as you love to so eloquently put things but there's something wrong with Rosalyn that a glass of water and CPR just won't fix. So, _you_ have to." she said, her voice hard and determined.

Jasper couldn't help but smile at himself as he tried to get Rosalyn to drink more water. He could see that it was helping but not a whole lot. She was still struggling to breathe.

He knew if there was anyone in the world who could persuade Carlisle to do _anything_ it was Alice, and for that, he felt gratitude surge inside of him toward her.

Carlisle sighed. "Fine. I'll treat her. Alice, go get my kit from my office."

He knelt down next Rosalyn who was just barely breathing. Her eyes were bloodshot red and they were watering from the heat and smoke that was still around.

The firefighters were putting out the fire now, both the one that burned the house down and the one that was burning the cross on the lawn.

Suddenly, it all clicked for Jasper. He should've known Emmett had no school project to do. How could he have been so stupid?

The fact that Emmett was absent through dinner and the fact that Rosalyn's house had caught fire was _not_ a coincidence. It all made sense.

He wouldn't have ever thought his brother would do such a thing. He knew Emmett was racist, but if Jasper's suspicions were correct (and he knew they were), _had Emmett _really _gone so far as to join the KKK_?

_**A/N: Well, friends? Did you enjoy it? Did you hate it? Review! Read Subscriiiiiiiibbbeee!1**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Another update. Even I'm surprised. Hope you guys enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own.**_

Rosalyn had been moved to the hospital an hour later. As a few paramedics pushed her gurney into the hospital, Jasper following them, many of the White hospital staff looked aghast. They had never before seen a black person being treated in their hospital. And as Carlisle practically ran the entire hospital, they obviously couldn't question him.A few hours later, Rosalyn was asleep in her hospital bed while Jasper sat in a chair by the window. He stared out at the clear night sky, stars scattered haphazardly across it. He thought about how much his life had changed in the past month since he met Rosalyn. He was not the same Jasper Cullen Whitlock-Hale he'd been before."What happened?" a soft raspy voice asked, taking Jasper away from his looked over at Rosalyn who was now awake. She had rolled over on her side and was staring at Jasper with her huge doe eyes."Your house caught fire." he replied absently."Yeah, I got that. How did I get here? In this hospital? I thought they don't treat-""People like you? Alice got Carlisle to treat you."Rosalyn looked astonished for a few minutes before she tried to get out of the bed. Jasper rushed over and stopped her. "Just lie down.""Where's my father?" she asked quietly, as if she knew the answer, but was afraid to hear it."When I went to get you out of the house, I found him inside, too. When we finally escaped, I tried CPR and everything but he was already gone. I'm so sorry, Rosalyn." he said, his voice sighed, looking somehow relieved. "Don't be sorry. If he didn't die in that fire, his liver would've failed him at some point.""What are you going to do now? Where will you go?" Jasper asked quietly."Honestly?" she asked. "I really don't know. I thought maybe I'd go live with my Aunt Lucy down in New Orleans. Maybe finish school down there or go on up to Boston. I always wanted to be a doctor." she said wistfully."Well, follow your heart, Rosie. What's your heart tellin' you to do?" Jasper asked, with a small smile on his face."My heart's tellin' me to stay here in Meridian with you." she replied sighed and took her hand. "Sweetheart, you know I love you with everything in me. But I don't think you should stay in Meridian."Rosalyn moved her hand from Jasper's. "Are you sayin' you don't want me here?" she asked, her voice cracking on the last word."No, that's not what I'm sayin'. What I'm sayin' is that...if there's a chance for you to have a better life somewhere besides this racist hellhole full of rednecks, then goddammit I want you to take it. Go up to Boston and go to school there. Be a doctor like you always wanted." Jasper said softly."But I can't leave you. I don't want to." Rosalyn replied, her eyes growing teary."So, I'll visit you every month. We'll find a way to be together. " Jasper closed her eyes and sighed. "If you say so. I guess I'll go stay with my aunt until I'm finished with school and go to Boston for college."Jasper smiled and kiss her forehead. "That's my girl."It had been a few weeks since Rosalyn left for New Orleans. Since then, he wrote her everyday, telling her how much he loved her, missed her, couldn't wait to see her again. He missed hearing the sound of pebbles hitting his window every night. He missed hearing her voice. Then one day, he got a letter with her aunt's phone night, he called her, but the phone rang a few times and no one answered. Disappointed, he hung up and took a shower before noticing that the light in the kitchen was on. He walked in and saw Carlisle and Esme hissing furiously at each other."What's going on?" Jasper asked, ever two immediately stopped arguing and stared at him. Neither said a single word. Jasper huffed and opened the refrigerator, taking out an ice cold Coca-Cola. "Well? Are you gonna tell me?" Esme swallowed. "Your father and I are sending you to boarding school. In England.""Boarding school? Why the hell would you do that?" Jasper asked, didn't say another word, she just looked down at her hands, tugging her bottom lip slightly. "We believe that that colored girl has had a bad influence on you." Carlisle stated matter-of-factly."Her name is Rosalyn and why the hell would she be a negative influence on me if she's not even here anymore? She's gone. And I know Esme had nothing to do with this decision because she's too goddamn stupid to think for her own self!" Jasper yelled before throwing the unopened Coke bottle across the flinched and when she looked up at Jasper. "Please, Jasper. This is for your own good." "No, it isn't! There's gonna come a time when none of this will matter and what he hell are you gonna do then?""Your plane leaves tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock. We'll leave the house at 7 so you can make your plane on time." Carlisle went on as if he hadn't even heard Jasper."And what exactly is the name of this hellhole you're intending to send me to?" Jasper asked frostily."Now, Jasper, I have had it up to here with your smart remarks. It'd be in your best interest to treat me with respect.""I would. If I thought you deserved it." Jasper replied casually. Just then, he felt a hard stinging across his face. It took him a few moments to realize Carlisle had just slapped him. He staggered just a bit but still stood tall and kept his face held high."Beatin' me won't make me respect you. That why you beat mama all the time?" Jasper asked, inclining his head toward 'd suspected for a while now that Carlisle beat Esme but now Esme's teary eyes and her gasping just confirmed it. He felt another blow to his face, realizing this time that Carlisle had punched laughed cynically as he regained his balance. "And still you beat me. I am not intimidated by you, Carlisle. The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to go pack my things now."And with that, Jasper Hale left the kitchen, leaving Carlisle and Esme dumbstruck. They'd never seen him act this way. He'd never been a rebellious child in all the time they'd known him."He thinks he's in love with that nigger. I'll show him." Carlisle hissed venomously as he shoved past Esme and into his said a word the next morning as they all drove to the airport. Nobody wanted to say anything. Emmett was beside himself with glee that Jasper wasn't going to be around anymore. Alice was sad, and Edward. Well, Edward was his usual self: quiet and calm so that no one knew what he was really thinking. Rosalie was crying silently. As much as she and her twin never talked, she was going to miss him they finally parked and walked inside the airport, the tension seemed to build even more. As they walked toward terminal 13 the tension grew thicker. "I'm gonna miss you, Jazz." Alice said tearfully as she hugged him tightly."Met too." Rosalie sniffed as she pulled Jasper to her closely."Have fun!" Emmett said, smirking at his little brother. Of course, he didn't care at all. Jasper rolled his eyes as Edward came forward."I'm sorry, Jasper. If there was something I could do, anything, we wouldn't be here right now. I'll talk to you when I can. And Jazz? Please. Be careful." he anyone else, the words wouldn't have meant much but to Jasper, they meant the world. He knew his brother truly cared for him."I'll miss you guys, too. I'll call and write when I can. In the mean time, see you later." he said, saluting his siblings who cared before walking to the terminal. He hadn't said a single word to Esme and Carlisle. He didn't even want to.

_**A/N: Well, did you like it? Hope so. Now, I have one important question. Should Rosalyn get pregnant? If not, then what!**_


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